Advance-Design was a pickup truck series by Chevrolet, their first major redesign after WWII. Its GMC counterpart was the GMC New Design. It was billed as a larger, stronger, and sleeker design in comparison to the earlier AK Series. First available on Saturday June 28, 1947, these trucks were sold with various minor changes over the years until March 25, 1955, when the Task Force Series trucks replaced the aging Advance-Design model.
The same basic design family was used for all of its trucks including the Suburban, panel trucks, canopy express and can overs. The cab overs used the same basic cab configuration and similar grille but used a shorter and taller hood and different fenders. The unique Cab Over fenders and hood required a custom cowl area which makes the Cab Over Engine cabs and normal truck cabs incompatible with one another while all tuck cabs of all weights interchange.
From 1947 until 1955, Chevrolet trucks were number one in sales in the United States, with rebranded versions sold at GMC locations. While General Motors used this front end sheet metal, and to a slightly lesser extent the cab, on all of its trucks except for the Cab Overs, there are three main sizes of this truck: the half-, three-quarter-, and full ton capacities in short and long wheelbase.
Arriving…
Before…
This will be a full frame off restoration project. Follow this project to see the transformation of a lifetime for this truck!
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During…
The trucks were pulled out and are now waiting for transport.
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The hood assembly has been removed.
Driver and passenger side outer wheel wells have been removed.
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The driver and passenger fenders have been removed.
The grille, core support and radiator have been removed.
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Taking the hood assembly, wheel wells, fenders and core support to get media blasted.
The driver and passenger doors have been removed.
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We got the truck pieces back from media blast, ready to be epoxy sealed.
The engine and transmission has been completely removed to be diagnosed and rebuilt.
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We have diagnosed the engine has extensive water damage.
Most of the front assembly has been epoxy sealed.
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The oil pan has been removed to further assess the water damage.
The body has been completely removed from the frame.
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Removed a section of the frame that was added in after it was built.
Cleaned up the edges to weld the frame back together.
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The frame is now welded back together.
Drilling out the rivets to remove the shackle mount due to damage. We will be repairing the one removed or replacing if we find a donor piece.
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The shackle mount has been completely removed to try and repair or replace with a donor piece.
We have gotten the frame back from media blast.
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The frame has been epoxy sealed.
Fabricated spring shackle hangers are being installed.
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Doing some bodywork on the running boards.
The new cab came in.
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Mocking up the cab and core support on the frame.
Here is the original cab that we will be cutting out some donor pieces from.
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We have cut out the donor outer skin rear cab corner patch.
We have cut out the donor inner support rear cab corner patch.
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Here are the inner and outer patches from the donor cab.
Prepping the area to weld in the patch panels.
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